Sunday didn't go as Nebraska basketball fans had hoped. Still, despite a loss to Illinois, the Huskers sent a message to the networks that's already been sent by NU football fans. "If the Cornhuskers put forward a product worth watching, the fans will watch it in droves."
The viewership numbers for Sunday's games were released on Tuesday evening, and they show that 1.37 million people tuned into Nebraska vs Illinois. Just how impressive is that number?
FS1 says the number of people who tuned in to watch Nebraska lose its second straight Top 10 matchup is the most of any basketball game in the history of the network. While Husker fans can't take all the credit - the Illini are having the kind of season that could lead to a National championship - it's almost certainly not a coincidence that the Huskers are having the best season in their history, and FS1 saw a massive boost in its college basketball broadcast.
A record-setting FS1 audience shows just how far Nebraska basketball has come.
FS1 launched in 2013 and initially aired Big East, Big 12, and Pac-12 men's basketball matchups from the outset. It started broadcasting Big Ten Conference men's basketball games in 2017.
The Illini have been a ratings draw on their own the last few years, with a Thanksgiving Day basketball game in 2024 drawing more than 5.1 million viewers.
Still, it's a safe bet that Nebraska fans looking to see if the Huskers could knock off Illinois for the second time, and move one step closer to a No. 1 seed in the tournament, clearly drew people to FS1. The lesson here is that NU being good is good for everyone, not just the program in Lincoln.